IT’S back, and it’s bigger than ever – one of Hampshire’s most unique festivals kicked off today.

With a line-up bursting with ‘boombastic’ international stars and coveted local acts, BoomTown Fair welcomed 38,000 fancy dress-clad revellers for four days of music, arts, theatre, comedy and Arcadia.

This year sees Shaggy, NoFX, The Cat Empire, and Jimmy Cliff headlining the stages as well as Lady Saw, Raggasonic, Playing for Change, Boddika and Chas n Dave.

They are joined by 400 other artists including Ms Dynamite, Friend Within, Eats Everything and Kry Wolf.

The family-friendly festival is held at Matterley Estate, near Winchester, and runs until Sunday, August 10, with ska and party bands from across the globe.

The site is made up of nine distinct ‘districts’, each with its own theme from folk, reggae, and country and western, to cabaret, gypsy and dub.

It revolves around the Heart of the City, which as the name suggests, sits in the middle of the notoriously outrageous fair, before branching out into ‘suburbia’.